This is the story of a lifetime friendship and a car — a 1930 Ford Model A roadster.

The story dates to 1950. Mack Ray was 15 and Al Jones was 13 when Ray went to work at Jones Laundry. It was a business on Trollinger Street owned by Al’s father, John.

Ray was paid 50 cents an hour.

“We did everything,” Ray said of the work assignments he and the younger Jones shared.

The two bonded, becoming best of friends. They palled around together through their teen years. Ray graduated from Williams High School in 1954. Jones followed in 1955.

While their lives took different paths after high school, they remained in touch. Ray served a stint in the Army before going to work for Western Electric as an illustrator. He stayed with the company through its numerous transitions and mergers — retiring with 35 years of service from what was by then Lucent Technologies.

Ray has since worked at Lowe Funeral Home on South Church Street.

Jones graduated from Catawba College in Salisbury, where he was an excellent musician — involved with a number of bands. After college he joined the Navy and was accepted into the Naval Flight Program.

Jones rose through the ranks to the role of flight navigator. During the 1960s he served aboard F4 Phantom Fighters in combat missions over Vietnam. He twice flew at the speed of sound and served as a flight instructor at the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Fla.

Jones retired as a Navy commander after 27 years of service, moving to Virginia Beach, Va. He continued to travel often to Alamance County, to the family farm he owned off N.C. 49 in Bellemont.

It was at the farm where Jones for years kept the Model A Ford he purchased in New Zealand — during one of his last duty assignments with the Navy. He had the car shipped back to the United States when his military career ended.

The Model A is a right-hand drive — built by Ford of Canada, the branch that built all of the company’s European models. It’s a convertible with a rumble seat. It’s painted dark blue with black fenders.

It’s a beauty.

Ray said that when he and Jones got together for lunch or just to chat, they’d often discuss the Model A. They both loved the car.

Ray said one of Jones’ favorite stories was about the day he finally drove the Model A from Alamance County to Virginia Beach. The old Ford was dependable, but not built for speed. It took Jones six hours to drive it on back roads to its new home.

A good portion of the trip, he had motorists behind him, waiting for an opportunity to pass.

Page 2 of 3 - “He laughed,” Ray said, recalling the words of his friend. “He said they weren’t all pleased with him.”

Half those motorists, Jones recalled, would pass and give him a thumbs-up in appreciation of his antique ride. The other half would use their fingers to convey a far different message.

Ray said he remembers Jones calling him once.

“He said, ‘Mack, I’m not ready to sell the Model A, but when I do, I’ll give you first crack at it,’ ” Ray recalled.

Ray said he thanked Jones, but told him he didn’t know if he could afford the car, and even if he could, if he could justify the expense. He and his wife, Gerry, have two daughters and three grandsons. There was always something or someone else on which to spend money.

Over time, Jones grew sick with cancer. He died last April 4 at the age of 74.

The night of Jones’ death, Ray called his widow, Jean, to offer his condolences. They talked for several minutes, sharing stories about Jones and even a chuckle or two.

Just before she hung up, Jean paused.

“Mack,” she said, “Al left you his Model A. He wanted you to have it.”

Last June, Ray and Jim Lowe, the owner of Lowe Funeral Home, drove to Virginia Beach and —– not being as adventuresome as Jones — trailered the Model A back to Burlington.

The car had sat for a period and was no longer in running condition. Ray took it to a local mechanic — William Tickle — who did a few things to the Model A to return it to roadworthy status.

Ray doesn’t drive it often, but he putters about town on occasion. He said he plans to show it in upcoming parades.

“It’s all mechanical and stiff,” Ray said of his ride. “It’s a lot of fun to drive, but it’s not like driving a new one.”

Ray admitted that putting a value on the Model A isn’t easy. He said Jones’ widow told him they had the vehicle insured for $20,000. Ray, 77, said the car will never be sold as long as he’s alive — going instead, he said, to his grandsons when he dies.

“It’ll be a project to keep them together,” he said.

One day last week, Ray stepped back to admire the Model A that he keeps garaged at Lowe Funeral Home. He said he has to sometimes pinch himself to prove it’s really his.

“Somehow or another, Al wanted me to have this car,” Ray said. “He was very free-hearted, as you can tell. He was a really good guy. I miss him.”

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Steve Huffman can be reached at shuffman@thetimesnews.com or 336-506-3045 or shuffman@thetimesnews.com